


Kiss Me Once, Kiss Me Twice

by TalysAlankil



Category: Kingdom Hearts
Genre: Alternate Universe - Fairy Tale, Alternate Universe - Medieval, M/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-11-12
Updated: 2018-11-26
Packaged: 2019-08-22 16:36:03
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 9,009
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16601624
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TalysAlankil/pseuds/TalysAlankil
Summary: Riku's a street rat, stuck living in poverty in the Earth district of the city-kingdom of Ilysoir. Life is rough, between trying to steal enough to survive the day and avoid the city watch and rival street thugs, especially for a thirteen-year-old. So when a new kid shows up in the streets, Riku needs nothing less than to have to keep him alive.





	1. Prologue

**Author's Note:**

> I've had this story in my head since I first heard the lyrics from Chikai I ended up using as a title. Didn't make the time to work on it, so I finally caved and wrote the first chapter for myself as a (late) birthday present. It was supposed to be a one-shot, but it's looking to be slightly longer than that. Either way, enjoy!

"Hey! Watch where you're going, kid!"

Riku instinctively flinched at the voice, even if it was coming from too far away to be directed at him. He still knew its owner—Aeleus, captain of the city watch in charge of the Earth District. Too often, that warning _had_ been addressed to Riku—and quickly followed by a beating.

Just a few seconds later, a tiny figure all in brown dashed down the street towards Riku, the guard on his tail. Groaning, Riku stepped away from the nearest merchant stall—he'd been _so close!_ —and tried to blend in with the crowd.

That was without counting on the guard's actual target, who barreled into Riku head first, sending them both crashing to the packed earth below.

" _You!_ I should've known you were involved in this!"

" _Fuck's sake_ ," Riku swore. Aeleus had recognized him. And, well, he _had_ just been about to steal something, but he had nothing to do with that other kid.

"I'm so sorry!" The kid said as he tried—in vain—to scramble to his feet. The brown cloak he wore, which hid most of his face, also seemed to make it hard for him to move. And the less he could move, the less Riku, pinned under him, could either.

"Get _off_ ," Riku said. He reached under the cloak, and pushed the kid off of him. Aeleus had just about broken through the crowd, and all of Riku's instincts told him to high-tail it out of here before the batons came out—if not something worse.

But after Riku had taken a few steps between passersby, he couldn't help but turn back. Aeleus wasn't even looking at him, his fist closed on the other boy's forearm and pulling him up to his feet. Judging by the boy's yelps, Aeleus was being as gentle as he always was. And there was the fact that the captain had gone after him instead of Riku. Whatever the boy had done, it must have been bad to distract him from his favorite target.

Riku had been in the boy's place enough not to wish this fate on anyone, and he couldn't help himself: he went back. "Hey, Captain! Why don't you let him go?"

Aeleus finally considered him again. "Shut up, you punk! I'll get to you in a moment."

"In a moment? Are you sure _this_ doesn't take priority?" Riku held out the trinket he'd pilfered from under the boy's cloak. Some kind of jewelry, he'd recognized by touch, even though he hadn't had the time to look at it in detail. He'd taken it more or less as a reflex.

"Wha—hey, how did you—?" The boy sounded indignant. "This is mine!"

"You shut up too, thief," Aeleus spat. Then, to Riku, "Give it back, punk. This ain't your usual apple. I won't just give you a beating if I have to catch you with this. This is bad enough to get the entire watch on your ass."

His words gave Riku pause, and he briefly considered the item he'd just stolen. It looked like a pendant of some kind, with a symbol of a crown hanging from it. It didn't seem that precious, and yet, if it was that valuable— "It's worth enough to get out of this shithole," he said, half realizing it for himself.

"You'll get shanked first, boy." He seemed a little scared himself, his hand clasped around the boy's arm so hard his joints were white, and he looked reluctant to try and get the jewel back from Riku by force. "Just give it back, and I'll let this one slide."

Riku scoffed. "Yeah, I've heard that one before." Aeleus had never once kept his word on this. "Tell you what: you let my friend go, and then I'll give you the bauble back and we all go our separate ways."

He was stalling, yet to his surprise, Aeleus nodded. "Okay. I'm gonna let the little thief go. But don't even think about running." He closed his free hand around the handle of his weapon—not his baton, but his deadly axe-sword. Riku couldn't help but gulp nervously at the sight of the weapon's massive blade hanging at the guard's hip.

Aeleus released his grip on the boy, and for a moment, nobody moved; the boy just rubbed his arm. Desperately, Riku nodded at him a couple times, then when it didn't seem to get the message across, couldn't help but hiss, " _Get outta here, you moron!_ "

Startled, the boy hesitated for another moment, then scuttled—straight towards Riku, to hide behind him. Riku sighed, but that was really all he could ask for.

He stepped forward, slowly, hoping to give Aeleus no reason to take his weapon out until he was out of reach. When he was just a step away from Aeleus, close enough to smell his pungent scent, the captain held out an expectant hand.

"Catch," Riku said, and he tossed the pendant in the air as hard as he could.

They must have played this game dozens of times by now, and it worked every time without fail. Aeleus yelped in shock and scrambled to catch the jewel, which would give Riku time to run. This time, though, he didn't intend to run empty-handed. He closed the space between them, reached for Aeleus's baton on his unguarded side, grabbed it, and jammed it into the captain's flank. He didn't have a lot of strength, but the surprise and his own momentum were enough to send Aeleus barreling back into the crowd, frozen in awe at their struggle.

Riku didn't wait to see what they'd do: he dropped the baton, caught the pendant before it hit the ground, and ran the other way. Noticing the boy hadn't moved either, he grabbed his arm with his free hand, dragging him through the crowd behind him.

"Hey!" the boy protested, but Riku ignored him. At least the boy could keep up, it seemed.

A few minutes and several turns through narrow alleys later, Riku dashed under a fence into the inner courtyard of an abandoned patrician's house—one of his many hideouts in the district. There, he allowed himself to stop running; Aeleus didn't know of this hiding place yet, he was pretty sure. He placed a wooden plank in front of the opening, then turned to look at the boy he'd rescued against his better sense.

The cloak he was wearing hid his entire body, but now that he wasn't focused on Aeleus, Riku noted that beneath its ugly brown color, it was made of cloth far too nice for the Earth district—thick and velvety, Riku remembered from his brief contact with it. Before he could wonder about it, the boy pulled his hood back a little, and Riku got his first good look at his face. The boy had striking blue eyes, and short brown hair—messy, but too evenly to be anything but intentional. His features held a soft roundness that, combined with his short stature, made Riku certain he couldn't be any older than Riku himself was at thirteen years old—in fact, he was probably younger still.

"You need to be more careful," he said. "You won't survive long in the streets if you can't avoid getting caught by the city watch."

"I've survived this long," the boy retorted.

Riku merely scoffed. "And how long is 'this long', exactly? A month? A week? Less?"

The boy pouted. "That obvious, huh?"

"We've all started somewhere," Riku said, shrugging. "What happened?"

The boy averted his gaze, but he looked tearful anyway. "I'm just…new." It wasn't an answer, but Riku knew better than to press him. Few children who ended up on the streets had a good reason, and fewer still liked to share theirs. Riku certainly wouldn't have answered the question if _he'd_ been asked.

"If you want to last long enough until you're _not_ new, try to be more careful in the future," Riku offered. "And aim lower for what you're going to steal. The cloak is a bit much already, but this pendant?" Riku took it out of his pocket, examining it more closely in the sunlight. "Come on, I wouldn't even go for something like this. Bet I can't even find anyone who'll buy it from me for full price in the Earth district."

"I didn't _steal_ these," the boy said.

"Of course you didn't. Nobody _wants_ to be a thief at first. You just took what you needed, right?"

"No, I mean they're mine. I'd like this back, by the way."

Riku chuckled. "I'm sure you would," he teased, without even bothering to look up from his examination. There was a carving behind the crown, he noticed—a marking that looked familiar, even if he couldn't place it. He also spotted a mechanism; when he tugged at it, the crown folded in two along its middle, and a tiny key appeared from within the pendant. "This is some nice shit. No wonder the cap looked so desperate to get it back."

"I—seriously, give it back. Look, my name's Sora, and I'm—"

"Is that your trick?" Riku kept examining the pendant, but he found nothing more of interest on it. "You tell people your name so they feel attached to you and they let you steal their shit? Ain't gonna work on me." He pocketed the pendant, and walked towards the house across the courtyard. He'd set up a few things there for him to sleep when he could. Of course, he'd planned to eat there too, but that wasn't happening today, thanks to the kid—to Sora. "Wait here for at least another hour, then leave the way we came. You have until morning to be gone. You should be grateful I even let you come here to escape the cap. No one should know about this place."

"Wait!" Riku had no intention to do so, but the noise he heard next forced him to look back at the boy. He was kneeling on the ground, crying openly. "I—you can't take the pendant!"

"Playing the emotional value card, huh?"

"No, I—you don't understand! I can't _lose_ this pendant! Please!"

Riku blinked, and shifted uneasily. For a kid who was obviously new, he _was_ good at this. Unless he wasn't that new to the streets at all. "Sorry, Sora. Really. But _I_ can't give it back to you either. You cost me my dinner already, you know, _and_ I saved your life, so it's a fair bargain."

"I'll—I'll do _anything_ —"

Riku couldn't bear to look at Sora's crying face for another moment—he didn't trust himself not to give in if he did. "If we ever meet again, don't run into me," he said, and went inside the abandoned house, making sure to lock the door behind him.

* * *

All night, he heard Sora crying through the door and broken windows, but Sora made no further attempt to plea with him. And in the morning, Sora was gone, as per Riku's instructions. Yet Riku still remembered the way he'd been crying, and he couldn't help but feel bothered about keeping the pendant. His instincts, sharpened from years on the streets, told him it was all an act. But it had been a damn convincing one.

His sense of guilt still kept him from looking for a buyer immediately. He tried to rationalize it, like he was just making sure he found someone who could buy the pendant at full price, but he didn't even look at all that day.

And then, in the evening, just one street away from the patrician's abandoned house, clamors caught his attention again. Three thugs he knew all too well, surrounding a tiny figure crumpled up on the ground. Fuu kicked the boy even though he was already down, and the other two snickered.

"Hey! Knock it off!" Riku called out. "This is _my_ turf. We settled this."

"Oh, hey, it's the tiny terror of the Earth district!" Seifer teased. "Yeah, we settled this, but I decided I'm not okay with it. So we're here to…re-negotiate." He nodded at the boy on the ground, who Riku realized was Sora, though the brown cloak was nowhere to be seen, and the clothes he were looked more like fancy pajamas than street clothes. "New kid said he knew where we could find you, but then he wouldn't take us to you. Friend of yours?"

"I don't _make_ friends," Riku said, though he heard his own voice break under the tension. Seifer and his two companions were older, stronger, and Riku had the pendant hidden under his shirt. If he lost it to _those_ guys, it'd be even worse than if he'd given it back to Sora. He couldn't beat them in a fight—never had—but he couldn't give up on his turf, either. Or let them beat someone up _on_ his turf. "Why don't you leave? Don't want a repeat of last time."

"I'm not worried we'll do a repeat," Seifer said, already taking a step towards him.

Riku groaned, but his plan was already in motion. He ran _towards_ Seifer, who had obviously been expecting him to run away. Taken by surprise, Seifer couldn't catch him when he ducked, nor could Rai when he slid on the ground, right next to his feet. He paused next to Sora, wrapped an arm under the boy's arms, and dragged him off the ground. Sora barely responded at first, but after a few steps, he seemed to regain some vitality.

"Stick to the left wall," Riku whispered in his ear. He wasn't sure Sora registered, but the boy actually took off on his own and ran ahead, just in time for Fuu to aim a punch at Riku from behind.

Riku rolled on the ground to dodge, grabbed a handful of the fresh dirt beneath him and threw it straight to her eyes, before dashing off, sticking to the right wall. He thought he heard three sets of footsteps behind him, but it was hard to tell and he didn't want to look back to check. He couldn't miss his own tells—

There. Shortly before the corner, as he passed a damaged plank in the fence, he ducked, passing under a thin wire he'd placed there in the morning. Fuu and Rai both got caught in it, tripping and landing on the ground, and blocking the alley. Seifer managed to jump over them, though, so as he turned the corning, Riku tapped another board in the fence. It broke another wire above them, dropping a large stone on top of Seifer. But if the sounds were any indication, it had missed its mark, only making Seifer slow down a little.

That was all Riku really needed, even if he'd preferred to hit Seifer with his trap. He knelt right behind the corner, curling into a ball. Seifer barreled into him, unable to stop, and tripped over Riku's body, triggering a third trap as he did. This one dragged a scaffolding across the alleyway, sending it crashing down on top of Seifer and pinning him down.

"Shit!" Seifer yelled. "Bitch stabbed me!"

Riku got back to his feet, and noticed that a sharper part of the scaffolding had indeed made its way through Seifer's arm. "You'll get over it," Riku teased. "Just stay the fuck away—let's not do this a third time, okay?"

There wasn't much time for gloating; already he could hear Fuu and Rai coming to their senses. Before they could catch him, he dashed under a pile of crates, hiding him but giving him a full view of the alley. Across from him was his hideout's entrance, and he could see Sora peering out from under it. Riku prayed he wouldn't attract attention, but when Fuu and Rai showed up, they focused on helping Seifer free from the scaffolding, and bandaged his wound. Seifer swore profusely, but when they didn't see either Riku or Sora in the alley, Seifer gave up with loud declarations of revenge.

Once they were gone for good, Riku dashed into his hideout, closing the fence behind him, then turning to Sora. The boy was crumpled on the ground, leaning against the fence as if he'd collapsed on the spot from exhaustion. His face sported several bruises—from Seifer's gang, and maybe others before that, if his absent cloak was any indication. Those would heal, though. Blood trickled from his earlobe, though, and Riku was sure that would leave a scar.

"You—you saved me," Sora said, sounding surprised—and infinitely more exhausted than the previous day.

"Wasn't going to let Seifer challenge me," Riku said, feigning nonchalance, but unable to keep it up. "And—yeah, I saved you. That's twice now, against my better judgment."

Sora managed a sardonic smile. "Are you saying you like me?"

Riku rolled his eyes. "I know what it's like to get beaten up by Aeleus or Seifer's gang. Wasn't about to let someone else go through that."

"Really? So you help everyone else, too?"

Riku glared at him. "And here I was, about to offer to share some of the dinner I actually managed to steal today, since you weren't there to disturb me." He really _had_ been about to offer, though he still had no clue as to why. "Guess it'll be all for me, if you're going to keep being a nuisance." He walked away at an overly slow and dramatic pace, as if to demonstrate.

"Dinner—? Hey, no, wait, I'm sorry!"

Smirking, Riku turned around. Sora was holding his own stomach dramatically, as if to emphasize his own hunger. "You'll never survive he streets," Riku said, just as he was realizing it himself. It would probably be more merciful to just let him out on his own. "But—I guess since I saved you twice, if I let you die now, it'll mean I did it in vain."

A tentative smile—genuine, this time—formed on Sora's lips. "Thanks?"

Riku went to the stash he'd filled earlier in the day, picked up a burnt loaf of bread and two bruised apples, and came to sit by Sora, offering an apple and half of the loaf. "It's not much, but it's more than I usually manage to steal, so don't expect it to get better," he warned.

"Then—shouldn't we save some of it?"

"Save it?" Riku let out a wry chuckle. "Tomorrow we might not even be able to come back here. City watch might remember this place exists, and raid it. Or someone else might find it for themselves, and steal what I stole. Or there'll be a fire in the neighborhood. Or—who knows what else. You don't live on the streets and _save_. That's for people who have a certain future." He paused, and examined Sora's face again. "You really _are_ new, huh?"

Sora nodded. "My mom died yesterday."

He didn't offer more, and Riku still didn't want to ask. The more Sora told him, the more they might feel like _friends_ , and that wasn't about to happen. He looked for words of comfort, but those felt foreign to him, and nothing came to mind. Still, when Sora pressed closer to him, he wrapped an arm around his shoulders, hoping that was enough.

"Seriously," Sora said. "Thanks for saving me."

"I still don't know why I did it," Riku said.

"I don't know why I came back here, either. But I'm glad I did."

And then he leaned in and up, pressing his lips against Riku's. Stunned, Riku didn't react at first, then, even more confusingly, he found himself returning the kiss, bending his head and pulling Sora closer against him to make it easier on him.

It was his first kiss—and Sora's too, he guessed—and it wasn't much, but Riku still felt out of breath when hey broke away. Before he could say anything, Sora grinned. "Even if you didn't give me my pendant back," he said, accusingly.

In a brief flash of panic, Riku checked that the pendant still hung around his neck—and found that it did. Still, he refused to be taken aback by something as stupid as a kiss. "Still insisting that it's yours, huh?" Riku teased back. "I remember the engraving, you know. It's a nobility seal."

"Yep."

Forced into silence again, Riku stared at Sora, wheels turning in his mind. Before, he could ask, a voice came from over the fence.

"This is the place. Tear it up, boys!"

 _Aeleus_. "Shit," Riku let out in a whisper. Seifer must have told him about their scuffle in he alley, as revenge for Riku slipping away. He should have known better than to stay here.

"What can we do?"

"That's the only exit," Riku said. "The house is condemned on the street side—"

He tried to think of something, but before he could, something crashed through the fence, making Riku jump to his feet, and Sora with him. It took a moment to recognize Aeleus's axe-sword; obviously, the captain had decided to take a shortcut in his search.

Another crash, and the weapon tore a man-sized hole into the fence. Guards poured into he courtyard, surrounding Sora and Riku, and Aeleus came in after them. " _Finally_ ," he spat, his eyes locked on Riku. He slung his axe-sword over his shoulder, ready to strike. "I'm not letting you get away this—"

"Stop!" Sora yelled, stepping between the two of them, his right arm spread out to the side.

"That voice—you're that kid!" Aeleus said. But then, his gaze drifted to Sora's arm, uncovered without his brown cloak, and his eyes opened wide. "Wait—"

"My name is Sora," he said, and though he sounded just as frail and unsure as a few moments ago. "Stand down."

Aeleus glanced back at some of other guards, exchanging a confused glance. "I—but you can't be—"

"Captain Aeleus, I'm sure there's an order to bring my back home safely. Do it, and let this boy go, and I won't report who gave me the bruises on my arms."

The captain's eyes went wide, and even Riku, who had no idea what was going on, understood that whoever Sora was able to report to, they could get Aeleus in major trouble. "B-but he's a thief—"

"Don't question me," Sora insisted, and though he still didn't sound very confident, the captain gave in.

"Yes, of-of course. Guards, prepare an escort to the royal palace!"

The guards gathered around Sora, though their menacing attitude was gone. "I'll just need a minute alone," Sora said, but Aeleus shook his head.

"With all due respect, I couldn't forgive myself if left you out of my sight until you're home safe." Sora opened his mouth—to protest, no doubt—but Aeleus insisted. " _Your grandfather_ wouldn't forgive me, either."

"My—" Sora cut himself off, sighing. "You're right." He turned to Riku, an apologetic look on his face. "I'm sorry about all this. Maybe we can meet again?"

Riku blinked at him, dazed and still trying to puzzle out what was happening. "Sure," he said, but when glanced at Aeleus, he knew this truce between them was only temporary. The moment Sora was gone, Riku would have to give up on this place, like all the others before it. Still, he smiled to Sora. "Who knows?"

Sora smiled back, then walked out, surrounded by the guards.

That was the last time Riku saw Sora for the next thirteen years.


	2. Act One

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Arrested for many crimes—including one he didn't commit—an adult Riku is brought to the newly-crowned King for trial. But the King has other plans.

At some point between his arrest and being dragged to the royal palace, Riku had somehow stopped feeling pain. From the multiple beatings he'd suffered from over the past few hours, to the shackles around his wrists, to the uncomfortable pull of the chains on his arms as the two guards escorting him dragged him into the throne room.

Riku was faintly aware that the lack of pain probably wasn't a good sign for his general health, but it was hard to bring himself to care.

Things moved in flashes of awareness, his focus pulled to tiny detail and unable to make out the overall picture. The guards in the room, so different in their pristine armors form the city watch in the Earth District. The stained glass windows. The white—so white, painfully bright—paint on the walls and tiled floor. The bright carpet.

Stray locks of hair fell into Riku's eyes, and he tried to blow them away, with only moderate success. In his partly obstructed sight, though, the throne appeared, as well as the man sitting on it.

The King was young; but Riku already knew that much—the coronation festivities had reached even the Earth district. Their prince, who had barely just come of age and been coronated on his twenty-fifth birthday. Now he got to oversee his first criminal trial, on the very next day. If Riku had been in better shape, he probably would have tried to greet the King with a cheery "Happy birthday!" As he was, though, the mere idea of talking was painful.

A herald spoke. "You stand before His Majesty, the ninety-first King of Ilysoir." The guards let go of his chains, and Riku crumpled to the floor, barely managing to scramble to his knees. "You're on trial for the crimes of theft, larceny, burglary, trespassing, forgery, counterfeiting, and fraud, all on more counts than could be feasibly established with accuracy."

Riku managed a smirk at that. A lot of fancy words, considering all they described were the simple needs of a life on the streets.

However, the herald wasn't finished. "And one count of murder. How do you plead?"

"Mur—" His throat felt too dry to produce a sound. He coughed, only to feel blood in his mouth. He spat it out, earning himself a satisfying gasp from his audience, and tried once again to blow the hair out of his eyes. He was more successful this time, and looked up at the King. "Murder? I never murdered anyone."

With his sight cleared, he got a better look at the King. A young man, indeed, with a mess of brown hair and stunning blue eyes. Someone must have selected the jewel on his crown to match their color—Riku refused to believe it was an accident. The rest of his body disappeared under the thick, red cape hanging from his shoulders. An intriguing, if confusing choice. Then again, the royal family of Ilysoir didn't even disclose their names to the public—maybe this was part of the same attitude.

"So you confess to the other charges?" the King said. His tone was uncertain—like it was an actual question, not a trap Riku had fallen into.

The herald had a moment of hesitation, but when no one else spoke, he continued with what was likely a script—one from which the King had deviated. "You are accused of murdering the man named Seifer, a street gangster with his own long list of crimes."

A woman standing behind the throne, clad in blue, scoffed. "Shouldn't we congratulate him for that?" she asked in a low voice—though still audible to Riku, and likely to everyone else as well.

Riku didn't care for her wit, though. "I didn't kill Seifer. _He_ beat _me_ up! That's how Cap caught me at all!" As if old Aeleus could have arrested him otherwise. "I couldn't have killed anyone while I was out of it."

A frown crossed the King's brow. "But you _are_ a thief," he said once again.

Anger bubbling below the surface, Riku's patience gave out. "From where I stand, _you're_ the thief!" He immediately realized he hadn't helped his case when he heard the scandalized noises the audience made. Still, he refused to back down. "What do you think got you this palace? This life? You didn't get it by chance, or by magic, or because you _earned_ it." He was cut off by another coughing fit, and again, ended up spitting blood on the floor. "I steal because it's the only way for me to survive," he said, looking the King dead in the eyes. "What's _your_ excuse?" He remained perfectly still, content to watch the King squirm on his throne. Then, without losing his composure, he added, "But I'm _not_ a killer. Not even in self-defense." He managed a scoff. "As if I'd need to kill Seifer to get him off my back."

The King stared at him—or rather, his gaze flickered all over Riku, too nervously to keep still. Then he turned to his herald. "Who caught this man?" he asked.

The herald skimmed the sheet of paper in his hands. "Captain Aeleus, Earth District, Your Majesty."

"Does his report match this—this man's claims?"

"I—yes, your Majesty."

"Then why does he stand accused of a murder he couldn't have committed?

"Your Majesty, if I may—" A man in armor, standing in front of the throne, turned back to address the King. "I'm sure the city watch did their duty in identifying the culprit."

"Thank you for your input, General Xemnas, but it doesn't answer my question."

Riku was familiar with that name. General Xemnas, who commanded the kingdom's army—and the city watch. Aeleus's superior. It made sense that he'd stand up for him. "What I mean, Your Majesty, is that your time is too valuable to waste on such a…"—he eyed Riku with unveiled disgust—"waste of a man."

"Isn't he a citizen of my kingdom?" The King turned back to the herald. "What's his name?"

The herald skimmed at his papers again. "I—don't know, Your Majesty."

The King rolled his eyes, his frustration apparent to all. "What's your name?" he asked again, this time directly to Riku.

Riku didn't feel much like answering, but the looming guards on both sides of him weren't a very appealing sight, either. "Riku," he simply said.

The herald made a shocked noise. "That's 'Your Majesty' to—"

"Riku," the King said, cutting him off. He sounded—wistful.

Then, to Riku's surprise—and everyone else in the throne room, it seemed—the King stood from his throne. His guards immediately shifted their stance, as if expecting an attack, but the King merely stepped down from the dais, dismissing his guards with a wave of his hand, and knelt in front of Riku until they were eye to eye.

"Do you swear to me you didn't kill that man?"

The gaze of his blue eyes felt too intense to hold, yet Riku didn't think he could have broken away. "Yes," he said. "Seifer beat me up and ran away. I passed out and your guards caught me."

The King nodded. "I believe you."

"Your Majesty—" General Xemnas started, indignant.

"There's clearly more investigating to be done," the King said. Still kneeling, he turned to look back at the general—and Riku couldn't help but gasp at the sight of the scar on his earlobe. "Perhaps it would be best not to leave it in the hands of the city watch alone, General Xemnas." Then, to the guards by Riku's side, "Remove these shackles."

The woman who had spoken earlier was the one who protested, this time. "Your Majesty, even if he's telling the truth, you shouldn't let him go until the investigation is complete. And he's still guilty of many _other_ crimes."

"I'm not letting him go." He stood up, and addressed his guards next. "Take him to a guest chamber."

* * *

There were more protests after that, but the guards took Riku away before he could hear most of them. Two guards led him away, with a gentle demeanor Riku had never known any _guards_ to be capable of. One of them had to help him walk, keeping a hold under Riku's arms to prop him up, and neither of them acted hostile towards him. And yet, like the woman had pointed out, he wasn't exactly someone they should have trusted.

So why the difference in treatment? Were these guards just nicer than the pair who'd taken him to the throne room? Or did they trust their new King's judgment this much?

The King. Riku had recognized his scar—his eyes, too. The age matched; Riku was twenty-six years old, the King twenty-five. Yet he had trouble wrapping his mind around the possibility. It couldn't be the same person as the boy in the streets. It just _couldn't_.

The thoughts buzzed in his pounding head, and Riku decided it was more than he could manage to care about. He wasn't dead, wasn't even in trouble for now. What more could he really ask for?

When they arrived, Riku realized his expectations had been far too low. Opening a set of double doors, the guards showed him to a bedroom that looked wider than entire houses Riku had squatted in before. To his left, a table large enough for a dozen people to sit at. To his right, couches and a bookshelf. In one of the far corners of the room lay a luxurious bed, with thick blankets and fluffy pillows resting on top of it. And in the other corner, a glistening white tub, steam rising from it.

It was all in the King's colors—white and red and black. None of this was for Riku; it _couldn't_ be meant for someone like him. Yet the guards sure seemed to believe it was all intended for him.

"The King requested you be washed and dressed," one of them said, a blond young man slightly younger than Riku. "If you need servants to help you with it—"

"I can take care of myself," Riku couldn't help but snap. The very thought of someone helping him with washing and dressing sounded ludicrous— _revolting_ , even.

"Very well," the guard said, unfazed. "I do have to inform you that you are required to remain in your chamber until the King has passed judgment on you. We will be locking the door, but you can ring if you need anything." He paused. "I'd advise against ringing as an attempt to escape. There will be guards stationed outside the room at all times."

Riku glanced at him, unable to hold back a scoff. "So much for 'guest' chamber, huh?" It beat the prison cell he'd been in since he'd been arrested during the celebrations of the King's coronation, but that was still what this was—a prison.

The guard ignored his sarcasm, and simply stepped out of the room. The clicking of the door being locked was distinctly audible behind him, and sent a rush of anger down his spine. Riku was alone, and trapped in this room.

He didn't care much for the King's 'request', but when his eyes fell upon the tub, Riku couldn't resist its call. He hadn't had the opportunity to bathe in a warm bath in—Riku couldn't even remember how long. Most days, he was lucky if he could just splash some water on his face. In his current state, after his stay in the King's actual prisons, he could definitely use a bath.

His shoes barely even qualified as such anymore; he didn't take them off so much as he let them fall apart and off his feet. The holes in his pants had reopened, he noticed as he discarded them to the floor, wincing at the thought of the time it had taken to steal sewing supplies to fix them the first time. As for his shirt, it looked more like a rag, stained with dried blood and torn apart. The city watch had _not_ been kind to him, but their batons could still rip at cloth and flesh if they came at the right angle, and their armored boots were even harsher weapons.

That was all that was left on his back. In midsummer, Riku had no use for a coat, even though he kept one in each of his hideouts, just in case. As for underwear—Riku hadn't had an opportunity to steal any in a few months. His last pair of briefs had given way long ago, and he couldn't remember the last time he'd even _worn_ socks.

As he stood naked in the too-wide space of the chamber, his wounds came back to the forefront of his mind. There was a vanity against the wall, next to the tub, and a full-body mirror next to that. Riku walked to it and inspected his reflection, finding with relief that none of his cut seemed to have festered. The worst of it was a large bruise near his stomach; Riku wheezed in pain just from touching it. At least, he though, his mind had cleared enough to register pain by now.

He fingers grasped at the pendant hanging around his neck. In thirteen years, he had never found it in himself to sell it away; its engraving puzzled him, and every time he even thought about selling it, he remembered the sound of the boy's sobs that one night. Which probably meant his current trouble was all his fault. All those years, he could have just become rich off of this one trinket, and spent the rest of his days comfortably.

And now—he was pretty sure he'd solved the puzzle of the pendant, at least. Fat lot of good it did him.

Moving on, Riku rubbed a hand across his face, hating the feeling of stubble under his fingers. He always took care to shave daily, in spite of living in the streets. It was the one concession he refused to make to poverty. His razor, of course, had been taken from him when he'd been arrested, but as he searched the vanity, he found one in one of the drawers. Sharper than anything Riku had ever owned, and nicer too, though that was no surprise. He shaved, and used the blade to trim the hair over his eyes while he was at it. The rest of his hair reached past his shoulders, but they'd never bothered him before, and he didn't intend to change that now.

Only then did Riku turn back to the tub. He hissed at the sudden heat of the water on his skin, surprised it hadn't cooled yet, but he kept going until he was fully soaking in it. He closed his eyes, and allowed himself to just relax in the water, to let the warm seep into his bones.

This only lasted for a moment. Soon, the water made a slight, sizzling sound, making Riku open his eyes in panic. Was something wrong with the tub? Was this all an elaborate setup?

The water glowed faintly, and Riku, startled, stood up in the tub. It was only when he caught his reflection in the vanity that he noticed one of the cuts on his chest had closed. There was only a faint line where he was sure there had been a wound just moments ago. And the bruise near his stomach looked a different shade, too, more yellow than purple.

Cautiously, Riku lowered himself back in the water, and watched it start to glow again. He remained in it, this time, until the glow dimmed down, and he could see that the wounds and bruises on his body were gone—and with them, so was the pain. His old scars were still there, but as far as the latest beatings, it was as if the past day had never happened.

Magic was a legend, the common wisdom in the Earth district said. Just something the Kings and Queens of Ilysoir invented to keep people in respect. Yet here was Riku, his body healed just by lying in a tub of water. He wondered what other legends were true, if any.

Riku didn't bother trying to figure out how or why the phenomenon worked: he took in a deep breath, and submerged his head in the water as well. Again, the water glowed, and when he came up for air, the cut on his cheek had closed as well, leaving only a pale line across his skin.

Riku thought he'd wait until the water had cooled, but after a while in the tub and the water still being hot, he was forced to consider that that wasn't going to happen. So, reluctantly, he grabbed the bar of soap nested on a metallic shelf hanging above the tub, and started washing himself in earnest.

He stepped out of the tub, dripping wet on the white tiles. It took him a moment to even consider looking for a towel; it'd been so long since he hadn't had to air-dry himself that the concept almost felt foreign. He found a whole collection of them in a cupboard next to the vanity; when he grabbed one, he was briefly overwhelmed by how soft it felt to the touch, how thick he material was. He used one to dry himself, dropped it to the floor, and shamelessly grabbed another one he wrapped around his waist. This alone felt nicer than any of the clothes he'd ever worn.

He looked around the room, but there wasn't much to it that he hadn't seen when he'd first arrived. The table was nice—or it would be, if he had anything to eat, or do at a table. The couches were, like everything else, so comfortable he could probably have slept in them, but none of the books drew his attention—all of them sounded stuffy and unreadable, and Riku wasn't much of a reader in the first place. He'd learned to read because it came in handy, but life on the streets didn't make time for that sort of leisure.

The bed, Riku felt like he could get _lost_ in; it must have been large enough for at least half a dozen people. He threw himself on the mattress, sinking into it like it was an ocean of softness. He wasn't sure he'd ever manage to stand again, he realized with a yawn.

He removed the towel he'd been wearing, and struggled with the blankets until he found his way under them. Closed his eyes. And instantly fell asleep.

* * *

It was still day out when Riku woke up at the sound of the door's lock being turned. Immediately, panic set in at the thought of someone coming into his hideout; then, the feeling of the mattress and blankets surrounding him came back to the forefront of his mind, reminding him he _wasn't_ in his hideout. And that he was naked.

A guard came into the room first, followed almost immediately by the King, who paused as soon as his gaze fell upon Riku.

"Oh." A pause. "Um—I was hoping to talk." Though Riku wasn't sure from across the room, he was fairly sure the King was blushing.

He couldn't help himself; now that he was healed and fully rested, his personality resurfaced. He grinned. "We can talk," he said, sitting up in the bed, letting the blanket slide just enough to uncover his exposed thigh and hip.

"I—will give you time to get dressed, first."

Riku was simultaneously proud and disappointed by how fast the King left the bedroom; he'd hoped he could tease him a _little_ bit more, at least. The guard stayed behind for just a second, meeting Riku's eyes with a disapproving gaze before he too walked out. The lock didn't click after they left, Riku noted, though he didn't really think he could escape while the King himself was waiting outside his chamber.

There was a chest at the foot of the bed, and when Riku looked into it, he found it full of clothes—probably more than he'd worn through his entire adult life, by the looks of it.

He almost cried at the feeling of clean underwear against his skin. The trousers and sleeveless shirt he chose felt brand new and deliciously pleasant to wear, compared to the old, dirty rags that still lay discarded on the floor tiles. Riku considered shoving those aside, then decided against it. Let the King see them, as a reminder of the only thing he'd had to wear.

He made sure to shove the pendant back under his shirt, and since no one had come back in the room yet, decided to search through the chest some more. He came up with a leather belt, and a matching pair of boots, which he put on. They seemed unnecessary in this setting, but should he somehow manage to escape, he'd be glad to have them.

As the thought crossed his mind, he also made his way back to the vanity, and pocketed the razor he'd used earlier. It wouldn't do much as a weapon—and Riku was, as he'd stated, _not_ a murderer anyway—but he'd be glad for it too, since his old one had been taken away.

Besides, everyone already thought of him as a thief. He had no reason to behave otherwise.

He was starting to pace the room impatiently when the King finally walked back in. "Ah, good, you're ready," he told Riku. "I—wasn't sure if I should wait for you to call, or—" He paused, gaping unabashedly as his gaze roamed over Riku's body. It was the same, nervous way he'd looked at Riku with in the throne room; yet now there was something else, an expression Riku had no trouble deciphering. He knew what he looked like—how _good_ he looked.

Riku stood still in the middle of the room, crossing his arms as he cast the King a defiant stare. "I'm all fixed, and cleaned, and dressed." He managed to seep a healthy dose of sarcasm in his tone. "What can I do for you, _Your Majesty_?" Without bothering to uncross his arms, he made a mockery of a bow, keeping his stare on the King.

Behind him, the guard who'd been in the room earlier was back, and he kept staring at Riku with stern disapproval. Yet, when the King turned to him and nodded, he left the room, closing the door behind him. "I don't know where to start this—" the King started, twitching nervously. He unclasped the hook that kept his cape around his shoulders, and it dropped to the floor.

It was the first time Riku saw him without the cape hiding most of the King's body, and he couldn't help but stare for a brief moment. He was a little shorter than Riku, and slight, but not without strength. The long sleeves of his shirt were pulled taut over his arms, and his waistcoat hugged his chest closely, stretching the patterns of black and red beyond what they were meant to be. His trousers weren't quite as tight, designed for mobility; they were decorated with a pattern of stars, the cloth rippling when the King shifted on his feet and sending a sympathetic shiver down Riku's spine. His slippers were threaded with gold, though that was all Riku saw of them.

The King cleared his throat, pulling Riku back to the moment. His mouth felt dry; he had to suppress the urge to lick his lips, but the King didn't seem aware of it. He hung his cape from a peg by the door, then, keeping his back turned to Riku, removed his waistcoat as well and hung it text to the cape.

Finally, he turned back towards Riku, and took one step towards him. Immediately, Riku stepped back. "Easy there," he warned.

"Um—" The King looked confused. "Should we talk with half of the room between us?"

Riku realized he no longer wore the crown he'd had in the throne room, the crown with the jewels that matched his eyes so well. He dismissed the thought—why was he even noticing that? "I don't know what you're used to doing with your— _guests_ —but I'm not going to—"

The King paused, and tilted his head. Then, finally, he opened his mouth as if in shock, or disappointment. " _Oh_."

"Yeah, sorry to disappoint," Riku said mockingly. "Us city folks don't bend over, even for the King."

"No, I—I would _never_ —" He raised his hands, as if in surrender. "I really just want to talk! I'd never force you—force _anyone_ —"

Fun as it was to watch him squirm, Riku couldn't help but frown. The King sounded genuine. Could Riku really have misread the situation that much? Hesitantly, he stepped towards the King—then, after a few steps, changed his mind, and walked to the nearest couch instead.

With a grateful smile, the King joined him—and, to Riku's dismay, sat on the same couch as him. It was more than large enough for the two of them, but Riku didn't like the proximity.

"The investigation isn't complete yet," the King said, "but I wanted to tell you again that I believe you, about the murder."

"And why's that, _Sora_?" Riku hadn't been able to hold it back for a second longer, even though he wasn't even sure—

Well, if he hadn't been sure before, he was now, just by the shocked look on the King's face. He glanced towards the door. "No one is supposed to use the King's name except for the royal family," he said in a hushed voice—almost as if he was afraid of being caught.

Riku didn't care for his chiding. "So it's really you," he said.

Sora narrowed his eyes. "How did you know?" Instead of answering, Riku brought his hand to his own ear, to the spot on the lobe where Sora's scar was. "You remember that day." Sora's voice was tinged with disbelief. As if it _wasn't_ the strangest thing that had ever happened to Riku.

"I remember that day," Riku said.

"And now I also saved you twice, against my better judgment," Sora said. "Once with Aeleus, back then, and once this morning. That means we're even." He paused. Then, without warning, Sora's hand shot out, seizing the chain around Riku's neck. Riku attempted to struggle, but all Sora did was tug on it, uncovering the pendant; then, he let go. "I _knew_ I'd seen it earlier!"

Riku scooted back on the couch, as if the distance would change anything, and glared at Sora as he hid the pendant again. He hadn't thought to hide it when he was naked—though he'd hoped the _naked_ would have been enough of a distraction. Clearly not.

"So you really _are_ a thief, at least," Sora said, almost in a whisper.

Riku pulled away from him, casting a steely gaze on Sora. "Shall we have _that_ conversation again?" He raised an eyebrow, and Sora blushed in response. "I'm a lot more alert now, if you want to hear all the other ways you hurt people."

"I—didn't mean that as a bad thing," Sora said, looking down in shame.

"Right," Riku said, skeptical. "Like you're not gonna send me to prison for having this on my person. And I mean regular prison. Don't think I haven't noticed this room is no different."

"It's—" Sora groaned in frustration, and shook his head. "It doesn't matter. You can keep the pendant." He opened the first few buttons of his shirt, and Riku scooted back further, wondering if he'd been right about the King's intent after all, but Sora only pulled out another pendant from under his shirt. "I had another one made."

Riku didn't feel reassured one bit. "What does that have to do with anything?"

"You don't—" Sora closed his eyes with a sigh. "Of course. You don't know what it is." Before Riku could ask, he shook his head. "It doesn't matter; I'm getting off-topic."

"I wasn't aware we _had_ a topic to get off of."

Sora glared at Riku, but it came across more like a pout—and Riku had to admit it was rather cute. That is, until Sora spoke. "I need a thief," he said. "And _you're_ a thief. A thief who could use a royal pardon."

Riku raised an eyebrow. "Are you blackmailing me? I think I'd rather go back to jail."

"No, I—That came out wrong." Sora shook his head. "The pardon is yours either way. Because you saved my life, all those years ago, twice."

"I thought you said we were even," Riku pointed out.

Sora stared at him, as if unsure how to respond to that. "I—as thanks for the kiss, then," he said.

Riku gulped at the mention of it. He'd sort of hoped Sora had forgotten, but apparently, neither of them had. " _You_ kissed _me_ ," he managed to say. His mouth felt dry once again.

"Exactly. And you let me. That means I owe you."

It sounded like an excuse. "You—" Riku started, then he stopped. Why was he even arguing with a royal pardon? "I won't be in your debt for this." He made sure his tone made it obvious that this wasn't a question.

Sora shook his head. "You won't be. There is one thing, though. I'll only be able to pardon you for the thefts, and—I forgot the other charges." He chuckled. "But not the murder. Not without losing the support of my own court on the second day of my rule. So you'll have to stay here for the duration of the investigation. But once you're cleared of the charge, you'll be free to go. Should you choose to." _Once_ , Riku noticed. Not _if_.

Every instinct of Riku's screamed to say a polite thank you, maybe even a smile, to take the pardon, and leave it there. But his curiosity got the better of him—his curiosity, and that same, foreign impulse that had driven him to help Sora all those years ago. "You said you needed a thief?" he asked.

A half-smile appeared on Sora's face. "Yes," he said. "I need a thief to stop a coup against me."


End file.
